Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said his country is welcoming migrants from its poor and conflict-stricken European neighbours, but will resist the European Union’s efforts to impose a compulsory quota of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East.

“Poland is open for migration. And last year, for instance, we issued 1,267,000 visas for Ukrainians. Half of these visas were work permits,” Waszczykowski told Russian media in a bruising interview reproduced by the Daily Express.

“We are also open for migration not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus and other countries, [but] we do not want to participate in the mandatory process of relocation of migrants coming from the Middle East and Africa.

“We do not want to implement the decision of the European Union taken in September of 2015″…